


Let the Barriers Fall

by Allamarain



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Dimension-Hopping Rose, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Judoon - Freeform, Oncoming blondes, Reunions, rainbow petals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22443241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allamarain/pseuds/Allamarain
Summary: All Rose wanted to do was order a cup of coffee. But the large rhinoceros looking thing behind the counter kept barking words at her that she couldn’t understand.Set mid-series Twelve.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 22
Kudos: 297





	Let the Barriers Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the promo stills of the Judoon in the cafe but nothing else is referenced from the episode, so it's definitely not canon-compliant. It takes place after the Tesla episode, but no spoilers for anything beyond Spyfall.

From her first trip with the Doctor, Rose belonged among the stars.

When she’d become trapped in the parallel universe, she’d sit in her backyard, watching the night sky, thinking of all the worlds beyond what she’d seen. So many different planets to explore, she could never be content on just one. Even though this planet was so much like the one of her birth, it wasn’t and had never been her home. She longed to be among the stars again. It wasn’t that her family or her job weren’t important or valued, it was simply where she wasn’t meant to be. She plodded along with her existence, working on the dimension cannon, tethered to it by gossamer strings.

When the clone Doctor saw her do this for the first time, shortly after returning from Bad Wolf Bay, he’d understood without her having to say a word. He immediately grabbed a chair to join her. They’d sat for hours, holding hands in the cool night air, gazing upwards.

A few months after his arrival, she’d woken one morning to find he’d been up all night, working on plans for a spaceship. _We’ll travel this universe together,_ he’d said, and she lit up with delight. 

There were numerous barriers to its completion. Lack of technology-even though this Earth was more advanced than its counterpart, regular space travel was still. Shortages of materials.Time, particularly when his condition became apparent. She begged him to stop, fearing he was taking months off his life, but he surged ahead, even when he was in no shape for space travel. It was no sacrifice; it was an act of love.

At the end, he could barely manage to speak more than a few words without gasping for air, but he managed to get out: _See the stars. Everything I wasn’t able to show you._

He’d insisted, months earlier, she take the dimension cannon when she left. _Just in case,_ he’d said. _The Doctor had gave me to you so you wouldn’t be alone. If there’s any chance possible, I want to return the favor._

And surprisingly enough, she found the tiniest of places, where the barriers between two universes had dissolved. It was at the edge of the galaxy, ten thousand light years from Earth. Microscopic tears into the void. She smiled as she pressed the button on the dimension cannon, eager for what happened next.

\--  
The challenges of being a multi-dimensional space traveler were plentiful. Fitting in among the locals, avoiding dangerous planets, and rhinoceros-like baristas whose language defied her translational device. 

“ _Wo ho blo to sho wo plo tro lo do sho yo plo tro sho lo kro kno flo spo!_ ” shouted the being behind the counter, despite being inches away from her face. He waited, staring at her expectantly.

“Hold on a sec.” She frowned, staring at the slim box in her palm. Not much larger than her phone, the device had worked on dozens of different races, but this was the first time it had failed. She’d co-developed the translator while she was at Torchwood. The LCD screen had displayed a bunch of nonsense. Perhaps there was a problem with the microphone. Taking a step back from the counter, she asked, “Can you repeat that?”

The creature grunted and gave her a blank stare. She wished for the thousandth time she was aboard the TARDIS; she’d have a perfect translation. She suppressed a bitter smile at the thought. Obviously they were a sentient creature; why else would they be working in a cafe? She’d have to rely on more primitive methods of communication.

“Chai Latte.” She pointed to the picture on the display screen on the counter, slowly enunciating the words. This was a human settlement; everyone she’d met so far had spoken English. Surely this creature had to have picked up a few words from working here. “ Chai Latte.” she repeated. She was so focused on getting her order through she didn’t notice the creak of the door opening behind her. 

The cafe reminded her of the little coffee shops on Earth. Not the big soulless chains, but the independent ones. Darkly lit, books scattered around tall, dark brown stained bookcases. A fire flickered in the fireplace in the corner. She’d ducked in here, planning to have a drink and sit for a while, before making another attempt to get off this planet. When she’d activated the dimension cannon, she’d had to leave her ship behind, taking only what she could carry. She’d been to several nearby planets, hitching rides with spaceships headed in the general direction of Earth. She knew she was far in the far in the future, but wasn’t entirely sure what century she was in-this settlement used a different calendar. 

“Wo ho blo to sho kno kro no do sho plo fo sho mo kro lo kno!” the syllables came in rapid succession as the creature rubbed their hands on their dark brown apron.

A futile glance at the translator showed it was still spewing out nonsense. Now what did she do?  
She didn’t know how to make herself clearer. Were they asking for money in advance? Saying they were out? 

“Wo ho blo to sho kno kro no do sho plo fo sho mo kro lo kno!” they repeated. She bit her lip, trying to think of another response.

“He’s asking what kind of milk you want.”A woman’s voice, clear, confident and unmistakably Northern, came from directly behind her. “Hope ya don’t mind, I speak Judoon.” 

“Thanks.” She turned around to find a woman about her height, with blonde hair, in a long grey coat. “Don’t suppose you could tell him skim?”

At the sight of Rose, the other woman paled. Her hazel eyes widened as her jaw dropped. She moved it open and shut, unable to speak. Was something wrong? She turned back to the rhinocerous man, who was simply waiting, impatient. 

The woman was regaining her composure. Slowly lowering her hand, the woman broke into a grin. “Rose Tyler,” she whispered.

“How do you know my na…” she trailed off. _Could it be? Of all the places in the universe…_

“Doctor?” she ventured.

Her smile grew wider, nodding.

Rose stared, shocked into immobility. She’d imagined meeting the Doctor again many, many times over the years. Daydreams of finding the TARDIS somewhere, running into his arms. None of those fantasies had ever gone like this. And the Doctor certainly didn’t look the way he…. _she_ did.

“You’ve regenerated!” she blurted out, a little too loud for the room. She was glad the cafe was empty aside from the three of them. “Sorry, that was daft.”

“Yeah. A few times since we last met!” The Doctor said. “Got an upgrade this time.”

Before she could ask anything, the barista gave a loud grunt, startling them both. “Oh, right.” Still smiling, the Doctor barked off a series of syllables in the same deep, staccato sound. The barista responded. Rose let out a small gasp when the woman pulled out a sonic screwdriver-solid proof of her identity-and pointed it at a small box next to the cash register.

“Chai latte with skim milk, and beetroot latte will be ready shortly.” The barista now spoke perfect English. “Please wait.”

“He didn’t realize his language selector wasn’t working.” the Doctor explained, shaking her head. “ Judoon, small brains, but excellent at repetitive tasks. Good at following directions. No improvising, no shortcuts.”

After receiving their drinks, they sat at a small table in front of the fireplace. Rose took a sip of her latte, almost wishing she had something stronger. She was overloaded with emotion-happiness, surprise, shock-and had no idea where to even begin.

“Good drink?” the Doctor asked.

“Ummm...I don’t know?” she’d barely noticed the taste. She tried again. Very good. The right blend of spice and milk. “It’s perfect.”

She glanced over at the Judoon, who was immersed in wiping down the counters. The Doctor’s beetroot latte was a bright pink, topped with a white steamed milk heart. “How is that?”

“I don’t know. Never had one. Can’t wait to try it.” She put the mug up to her lips, and immediately spat out the contents. “Oi, this is terrible! Almost as bad as beets!”

Rose laughed. If there was any doubt if this woman was the Doctor, it was quashed. “Why did you order that if you didn’t like beets?”

“Thought it deserved a chance,” she shrugged, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. “But never mind that. How are you here?” 

“Dimension cannon. Detected tiny microscopic tears in the walls between universes.” 

“Oh, brilliant!” she replied. She hesitated for a moment, before asking “Just you?” 

“Just me.” Her face fell. She wasn’t sure how to say it, “He’s gone.” 

She let out a small sigh, aching with a mixture of sadness and regret. “How long?”

“Three years ago. It was his heart that gave out. Supposed it wasn’t used to working by itself. He used to say it got lonely.” She gave a small chuckle. 

“Should have known it would happen,” she replied. “Human physiology stretched beyond its limits by a Time Lord consciousness. I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks,” she said quietly. The pain had lingered since his death and she didn’t know if it would ever stop. But sitting here now, with the Doctor again, it felt muted. Less raw. “But we had a good life together. He made it possible for me to be here.”

She explained everything, about building the spaceship, traveling around her universe, finding the tears, how she’d had to travel out to the edge of the galaxy, tens of thousands of light years, just to find them. The Doctor listened, chin in her hands, soaking up every word she said. Every now and then Rose thought she saw a flicker of sadness every now and then, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. 

“That’s amazing. All of it. Should have expected you two wouldn’t have stayed Earthbound for very long.” she gave a small smile.

“Not a chance.” Rose agreed. “So how are you? What have you been up to?”

“Great! Having fun!” She’d stared into those eyes so many times, it was impossible for her to miss the underlying pain. “Still travelin’, same old life. Here with some friends.” She slapped her head. “Oh! I was supposed to get them coffee! Completely forgot! Come on! Once I get their orders I’ll introduce you!” 

\--

They walked swiftly through the streets, the Doctor stopping every now and then to point out a site of interest. A historical placard, an interesting plant, or a particularly good place to get sushi. Occasionally she got so distracted she nearly dropped the drink holder. Rose walked alongside her, close but not touching. She realized the Doctor was talking about everything but herself. With several regenerations, it had been many years for her. Certainly she’d have a few interesting things happen. A grim thought occurred to her: would the Doctor still want to take her aboard the TARDIS? Did she feel the same way about her, after all this time? She pushed it out of her mind. She couldn’t consider the possibility. 

They stopped outside a large grey cube of a building, where three people were sitting outside, looking annoyed. The oldest one piped up, “Hey, Doc. Thought you forgot about us. Or you found another biscuit outlet mall.”

“That was _one time_!” she protested. “ Sorry that took so long, but I ran into an old friend! Rose, this is Graham, Yaz, and Ryan.”

“Hi,” she waved, not certain how she felt about being described as a friend. The others smiled with a guarded politeness. They were studying her, looking critical, for reasons she couldn’t ascertain.

She got her answer when Yaz spoke up. “The last ‘old friend’ of yours we met tried to kill us. Are you sure she’s not another Time Lord?”

Another Time Lord? She’d thought the Doctor was the last. Had she found another survivor of the Time War? 

Before she could ask, the Doctor quickly jumped in. “Rose is human, I promise.” She pulled out her sonic to do a quick scan. “See? Human. Very human. She used to travel with me, like you lot. Ended up in a parallel universe for a bit. Found her way back because she’s courageous and resourceful and clever. Ran into her in the cafe.“

Ryan nodded, his expression unreadable. “All right, Doctor. But if she blows up an airplane, it’s your turn to land it.”

“Deal,” the Doctor said. “So, who’s up for another nine holes? Love mini-golf, me.” 

“You’re playing mini-golf?” Rose asked in disbelief.

“Not just mini-golf. Zero-G mini golf.” Ryan’s smile was wider this time, genuine. 

“The holes are miniature portals, suspended on the floor, the ceiling, midair, anywhere!” The Doctor was nearly bouncing. “Focused stasis fields, in order to play the ball where it lies. It’s ace!” She strolled into the building, taking occasional glances to make sure her friends were following.

Yaz turned to Rose. “She seems really happy to see you. Hasn’t been, so much.”

Rose nodded. Airplanes and other Time Lords..what had she missed? “I noticed. Anything in particular?”

“We don’t know. She’s not saying. I tried, we all have, but…”

“Rose, Yaz! Are you coming?” The Doctor was holding the door open, looking impatient.

“Yeah, be right there!” They quickened their pace. There was a lot happening that the Doctor wasn’t saying, but she’d try to find out between holes.

\--  
After another round of zero-G mini golf, which Graham won (again), the Doctor and her friends went to dinner. She’d been focused on controlling the conversation, not wanting it to head in untoward directions. She focused on telling stories, anecdotes, a few memories from when she’d traveled with Rose. All happy ones, of course.

Rose..well, she was so happy to see Rose. But she was also a number of other things. Nostalgic for the time she’d been the skinny man in suits and trainers. He’d been so much like the way she was now, energetic and exuberant, but without the ever present weariness. He’d been so full of sorrow, but he’d had his moments of joy, and she wasn’t finding many of those at the moment.

It was fitting Rose was here, now, in the wake of Gallifrey’s destruction. Everything repeats. But her presence threatened to crack open the carefully constructed facade she’d built. She’d spent this regeneration erecting barriers around herself. She’d always been a private person, but now, she was being secretive. Privacy was healthy, but secrets were poison. And that poison simmering under a lidded pot, threatening to bubble over. 

After dinner, the Doctor suggested they go to the town’s nighttime zoo. Open from dusk to dawn, the zoo allowed its guests to observe nocturnal animals while they were awake. This settlement had an enormous variety of such animals,from squid-like creatures to giant sloths, though the sloths did little more in the evening than they did during the day. It was a good plan. If they went back to the TARDIS, there’d be conversations beyond her control; she couldn’t keep track of everyone in an infinitely large ship. The zoo was good. Keep everyone busy and distracted, and they’d all be too exhausted when they arrived back at the TARDIS.

In the quickly darkening sky, she found her footsteps slowing as the fam walked ahead. They were caught up in looking at the bioluminescent bears, and asking each other if they’d actually seen a unicorn. She watched them much more closely than the animals. She’d been to this zoo before, dozens of times. She’d seen everything they had to offer. 

She was not surprised to find Rose appear by her side. The streetlamp lit her from behind, highlighting the gold in her hair. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she was hesitant, almost shy. 

“We’re going back to Earth in the morning. They need to go home.” The Doctor kept her tone light and casual, though she was feeling a little melancholy about seeing them off. 

“I know the feeling.” Rose replied, and the Doctor’s heart sank. So she wasn’t going to stay. This happened, she knew all too well. Her human friends got used to a certain personality, and they usually didn’t stay long in the face of change. Rose had come back looking for him, for Sandshoes. 

“So, where can I drop you off?” she asked, trying not to let her disappointment show, 

“What?” she almost sounded startled.

“Tomorrow, when I drop off my friends. Can take you anywhere you’d like. If you want to go home.”

She drew back, shaking her head. “Earth is the place I was born. But my home is with you.” she reached for the Doctor’s hand. She nearly expected to flinch-this body wasn’t big on touching. But Rose’s touch felt soothing, comfortable, like a warm bath. She stopped walking and closed her eyes, thinking of simpler times, unburdened by the futility of her actions.

“Doctor? Are you okay?”

Her eyelids flew open. “Yeah! Course I’m okay! I’m the king, err, the queen of okay!” she gave her usual bubbly spiel, but she felt a sting in her eyes, threatening to disturb her fragile peace. _No, not going to cry, not here. Not with her_.

“You always say that,” Rose said softly. Her gaze was unyielding but warm, staring at her with concern. The Doctor tried to think of something to put her off. She felt naked, exposed. There was no point in hiding anything from her.

“It’s gone, again.” she replied, hesitant, barely above a whisper. “Gallifrey, the Time Lords...it’s all gone. I’d saved them and now they’re gone again.”

Her eyes widened. “But….how? I thought there was a time lock...” she trailed off.

“Found a way to move the whole planet into a pocket universe, just before the end of the Time War.” Her voice wavered, but she found herself feeling lighter, like she’d dropped a weight she hadn’t known she was carrying. ”They were isolated from the rest of existence, but they were alive, they were safe. And then he came and destroyed it all. Nothing left but burned out husks. You have no idea what it’s like to lose everything, yet again.” 

“Think I do, kind of.” she gave a small smile.

“Sorry! Now I’m the one that’s being daft.” she sniffed. “But yeah...it’s been so hard.”

“Oh, Doctor, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry,’ she replied, and took the Doctor in her arms. She relaxed into the embrace, letting it envelop her. If only she could stay here, unmoving, like this, she might actually be okay. More than okay. “But they don’t know.” she nodded towards the fam. They were talking amongst themselves at an exhibit, blissfully unaware.

“Don’t want them to know the horror of it all,” she said. “It’s my burden. I put too much of it on you lot in the past. Especially you.”

“You can’t carry it alone.” Rose drew back, studying her. “And you don’t have to.”

That was enough to let the tears flow. She leaned into Rose’s shoulder, telling her about dead spies, a tech mogul, and an old friend turned enemy. After months of running and hiding, the Doctor let the barriers fall.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to dwj for discussion and 13ghostmonument for providing the inspiration for the beetroot latte business.


End file.
